When Students Stand Up to Speak, a Nation Starts to Listen In a packed auditorium, a fifteen-year-old from a rural school in Sri Lanka gripped the edges of a podium and began arguing why her generation could no longer afford to ignore plastic pollution. Across from her, a team from another district prepared their rebuttal, […]

A Heart Made of Plastic Bottles, Filled with Something Unexpected On a university campus where students rush between lectures and deadlines, a heart shaped container made entirely from reused PET plastic bottles stands quietly in a common area. It does not collect trash in the usual sense. It collects feelings. Project Trash Talk 2.0, organized

When Students Took the Stage to Challenge a Plastic-Dependent World Inside a lecture hall at the University of Colombo, a teenager from a rural school stood at the podium, voice steady, arguing that Sri Lanka’s dependency on single-use plastic was not just an environmental crisis but a failure of imagination. Across from her, a student

Seven Hours, Three Thousand Cups, and a Sapling for the Journey Home By mid-morning on Poson Poya Day, the sun had already settled heavily over the Malambe Mahamewnawa Bhawana Asapuwa, and the line of devotees stretched well beyond the temple grounds. Among them, a group of young volunteers moved steadily between large steel pots and

After the Devotees Left, the Volunteers Arrived The morning of 30 June 2026 was still and warm at Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara, one of Sri Lanka’s most sacred Buddhist temples. Just days earlier, thousands of devotees had gathered to mark Poson Poya, a celebration deeply woven into the island’s spiritual identity. But as the crowds

Three traditional Sri Lankan industries — wood carving, wood drawing, and brass work — share a common thread. They rely on the hands of skilled artisans who have inherited techniques passed down through generations. Yet many of these craftspeople operate in relative obscurity, their workshops tucked away in small towns, their customer base limited to

ZeroPlastic Colombo launched the Pen Bin Love programme at Anula Vidyalaya, Nugegoda on 12 June 2026, mobilising schoolchildren to confront a rising tide of plastic pen waste. The event ran from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. and was organised by the ZeroPlastic Colombo Community. More than 100 school children attended, supported by 7 community members

On June 18, 2026, at St Josephs Girls School, Nugegoda, four volunteers from the ZeroPlastic Colombo Community led an awareness session that engaged more than 50 students and resulted in the official launch of a school based ZeroPlastic Community and the appointment of a student Board of Directors. The session opened with a clear statement

Project YAJNA: University of Peradeniya and Community Unite for a Cleaner, More Sustainable Kandy On 1 April 2026 Project YAJNA brought together a large student contingent and local residents for an intensive awareness and cleanup effort at Kattukalai Pillayar Kovil in Kandy. The initiative mobilized 182 volunteers from the University of Peradeniya for an awareness

Haritha Dhamma Pada connected Buddhist teachings to urgent environmental action in a community programme organized by the ZeroPlastic community, urging students to cut single-use plastics. Location: not specified in project summaryOrganiser: ZeroPlastic communityParticipants: students and community membersPartners: not specified Participants gained a better understanding of reducing plastic usage, protecting the environment, and practicing moral values